When we consider the forty-seven million Americans without health insurance, we usually think of it as a problem of the poor or lower middle class. Very poor people can qualify for federal government programs like Medicaid, so the problem often does impact the class known as the working poor. A worker at a job which pays a little more than minimum wage, and which does not include a health insurance benefit, is unlikely to be able to set aside money for health insurance. However this class of people also does not carry the political weight of more affluent people, and so their problems are not being addressed.
However, tens of thousands of people with higher incomes are now joining the ranks of the uninsured in this country. This group makes over $75,000 a year, an amount considered fairly affluent, and still cannot find the money to pay health insurance premiums. Why?
It can be argued that some of these upper income families may not have their priorities in order. I would counsel a family to hold off on a new car or larger house, until they are sure that they have a way to be financially responsible in case of an accident or major illness. But that view may be too narrow for many of these people.
In fact, some of the upper income people have health conditions, or have family members with health conditions, and cannot find somebody who is willing to offer them a policy. Individual health insurance policies are accepted on the basis of each applicant's health history, and underwriters can be fairly tough with that “Decline” stamp these days!
Different states do have programs from those who have been denied health insurance, but in some states the premium for these programs can cost as much as a monthly mortgage payment! When a family has house payments, utility bills, and car payments, it may seem reasonable to delay another bill. It's almost as if health insurance has become a luxury, and not a necessity!
A qualified insurance agent should be able to take a health history, do some research, and come back with a family's options. A decline from one insurance company, does not mean that all companies will make the same decision. Some of the newer, high deductible health insurance plans ease off on some underwriting standards, and those plans would still save a family from economic disaster, even if they won't pay for every doctor visit.
One three day trip to the hospital room can run up tens of thousands of dollars in bills. Major illnesses can add another digit to that figure. Even a minor emergency room visit could top a thousand dollars. Families do need some form of health insurance, but of course, they need to analyze their own situations, their health conditions, and do some shopping to find the health plan they need.
Coverage is out there. Sometimes you need to look for it!
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